Top 5 resources for March

March 1, 2019

Every month, we spotlight five helpful resources for you as you seek to walk closely with the Lord and make disciples. Many of these resources are created by the staff of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina (BSCNC) to help meet the ministry needs of pastors and lay leaders across the state.

This month’s resources feature tools to help prevent sexual and child abuse in the church, prayer resources for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and a family Easter devotional.

Reducing the Risk of Sexual MisconductA series of articles by two Texas newspapers reported on numerous instances of abuse by pastors, staff members, youth pastors, Sunday School teachers, deacons and volunteers in churches across the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). This brochure titled “Reducing the Risk of Sexual Misconduct,” produced by Church Mutual Insurance Company, offers several guidelines that can help your church reduce the risk of sexual misconduct by establishing clear guidelines for ministers and other staff members. Download the brochure and visit the Church Mutual website for other free resources related to preventing abuse in the church.Visit: churchmutual.com | Follow: @churchmutual

Safety Tips on a Sensitive Subject: Child Sexual AbuseCausing harm to a minor is an unthinkable crime, but as recent news reports have indicated, abuse often happens in places we consider “safe.” This downloadable brochure, produced by Church Mutual Insurance Company, includes advice on how to prevent abuse and how to address it if it does occur. Church Mutual also has a related video titled, “Preventing Youth and Child Sex Abuse,” as well as other resources about preventing sexual abuse in the church.Visit: churchmutual.com | Follow: @churchmutual

Protecting our Church and Children: What Church Leaders Must KnowDeveloped by the Baptist state convention’s Childhood Ministry, this downloadable booklet offers guidance on developing and implementing policies that address leadership, environment, safety, security and hygiene. This resource was developed with North Carolina churches in mind, and the recommendations meet or exceed N.C. childcare regulations.Visit: ncbaptist.org/childhood | Follow: @ncbaptist

An Easter Devotional for Your FamilyThis convenient 15-Day Family Easter Focus will help you experience the Easter story together as a family. The reading plan includes 15 days of Bible readings and discussion questions for children of all ages.

Have you considered how your view of your earthly father has affected how you relate to your heavenly Father? Fifteen months before the birth of Jesus, God sent the angel Gabriel to Zacharias to announce the birth of John the Baptist. John’s ministry was to prepare the hearts of...

Members of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s (BSCNC) board of directors recently heard an update on progress being made on a forthcoming measure that would outline steps by which individuals serving in leadership positions with the state convention could be removed...

I will never forget the day my grandmother’s car was sold. We stood in silence as the new owner drove away from the assisted living facility with the last vestige of her independence. She had already lost her husband (my grandfather) and her home. Now her car pulled out of sight....

She caught me in the hallway between Sunday School and worship, anxiety stretched taut across her face. A week earlier, this 75-year old lady had agreed to join a prayer walk. Now she struggled to tell me, “I don’t like to pray out loud… and I really can’t walk very far.” I...

How can I think like a missionary?Missionaries live with a deep love and compassion for those who are far from God. They are burdened for those who are lost — those who are like sheep without a shepherd. They live by the words of Jesus when He said, “I have other sheep that are...

Cheering children and visitors waved excitedly as they welcomed more than 100 motorcyclists who thundered triumphantly onto the grounds of Broyhill Home in Clyde on May 11 to deliver a record $77,674.88 for the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina (BCH). It was a crowning...

Recently I had the honor and privilege of attending our annual conference for associational mission strategists (AMS) and potential associational mission strategists at Caraway Conference Center. The theme of this year’s event was “Moving into a New Future: Sowing and Reaping.”...

The new normal in churches today is that people are struggling with drug addiction in unprecedented numbers. Opioid abuse in all its forms is epidemic. The reality is that in the confines of any church, someone is suffering in silence, enslaved to some addictive substance or...